18 November 2007 - Media
Statement - STATEMENT BY MARTHINUS VAN SCHALKWYK,
SOUTH AFRICAN MINISTER OF ENVIRONMENTAL
AFFAIRS AND TOURISM, IN RESPONSE TO THE
RELEASE OF THE IPCC'S FOURTH ASSESSMENT
REPORT, 18 NOVEMBER 2007
Note to Editors: Late on Friday night,
the 16th of November 2007, the Synthesis
Report and its Summary for Policy Makers
(SPM) of the Intergovernmental Panel on
Climate Change (IPCC) 4th Assessment Report
- "Climate Change 2007", were
approved and adopted by the IPCC after 5
days and nights of intensive discussions
and negotiations
SUNDAY, 18 NOVEMBER 2007: From the work
of hundreds of scientists captured in thousands
of pages in numerous documents, one message
is clear – Climate change is happening now
and will get far worse with dramatic and
even catastrophic and irreversible impacts
unless we substantially reduce our greenhouse
gas emissions and start doing it now.
The IPCC report underscores the urgency
of significantly advancing the climate negotiations
when Environment Ministers meet in Bali
in two weeks time. South Africa's Cabinet
mandate is to agree on a Bali roadmap that
will outline a process to conclude negotiations
on a strengthened climate framework by the
end of 2009, at the latest. (The first commitment
period under the Kyoto Protocol ends in
2012.Governments need sufficient time to
agree and to ratify commitments for the
second commitment period after 2012) The
Bali roadmap should also outline the key
elements that should form part of a future
agreement. It needs to balance the international
response on mitigation, in other words reducing
emissions, with credible and predictable
support for adaptive activities in the face
of inevitable climate impacts. In addition,
leadership by developed countries in facilitating
technology transfer and financing in support
of both mitigation and adaptation, is a
prerequisite for a balanced agreement.with
credible and predictable support for adaptive
activities in the face of inevitable climate
impacts. In addition, leadership by developed
countries in facilitating technology transfer
and financing in support of both mitigation
and adaptation, is a prerequisite for a
balanced agreement.with credible and predictable
support for adaptive activities in the face
of inevitable climate impacts. In addition,
leadership by developed countries in facilitating
technology transfer and financing in support
of both mitigation and adaptation, is a
prerequisite for a balanced agreement.
Under the Kyoto Protocol, carbon constraints,
or caps, have thus far only been placed
on industrialized or so-called Annex I countries.
South Africa, together with the developing
or so-called non-Annex I nations of the
world, has been exempt from taking mandatory
action to reduce our high level of relative
emissions. South Africa has a commitment
to mitigate emissions within our means under
the Convention, but there is no legally
binding, quantified target. The current
regime allows South Africa along with others
such as Brazil, China and India to continue
to grow without a cap on emissions.
However, increasingly, developing countries
like ourselves will be expected, and should
be expected, to take our fair share of responsibility
and demonstrate our plans to contribute
to the global response, albeit in a differentiated
way that recognizes our growth imperative
and our small contribution thus far to the
current crisis. The concession to non-Annex
I nations has seemingly prevented the biggest
emitter on the world stage, the USA, from
agreeing to targets. This deadlock must
be broken, and thus it can be expected that
we will have greater responsibilities, but
still of a different kind than developed
countries, after 2012.
In term of reducing emissions a strengthened
Kyoto regime must weave together three strands:
much more ambitious emission reduction
targets for all developed countries;
re-engagement of the USA and Australia in
internationally agreed and binding emission
reduction targets under Kyoto ( the USA
and Australia are two developed countries
and large emitters who have not ratified
the Kyoto Protocol) and
greater recognition of, and incentives for
developing country mitigation action.
For us the IPCC report serves as confirmation
that the world needs the Kyoto protocol
- one that is substantially strengthened.
We all need to do more and no nation can
any longer opt out of the Kyoto agreement.
Key findings from the report:
The 4th Assessment Report must be viewed
as the report that provided the clear justification
for the award of the Nobel Peace Prize as
it provides global consensus on the fact
that:
Warming of the climate is unequivocal,
as is now evident from observations of increases
in global average air and ocean temperatures,
widespread melting of snow and ice and rising
global average sea level;
Many natural systems, on all continents
and in some oceans, are being affected by
regional climate change; and Largely as
a result of human activities, atmospheric
concentrations of greenhouse gases are the
highest they have been for thousands of
years – in the case of CO 2 the current
concentrations far exceeds the natural range
over the last 650,000 years.
From a South African perspective, the 4th
Assessment Report provides a disturbing
picture of what climate change means for
us in the section dealing with "reasons
for concern", including:
Risks to unique and threatened systems
– Confidence has increased that a 1-2oC
increase in global temperature above 11000
levels poses significant risk to many unique
and threatened systems including many biodiversity
hotspots (Fynbos is identified as such a
hotspot in the underlying reports). Approximately
20-30% of plant and animal species assessed
so far are likely to be at increased risk
of extinction if increases in global average
temperature exceed 1.5-2.5oC.
Risks of extreme weather events – There
is now higher confidence in the projected
increases in droughts, heat-waves and floods
as well as their adverse impacts. These
increases will result in increased water
stress and wild fire frequency, adverse
effects on food production, adverse health
effects, increased flood risk and extreme
high sea level and damage to infrastructure
Distribution of impacts and vulnerabilities
– There are sharp differences across regions
and those in the weakest economic position
are often the most vulnerable to climate
change and are frequently the most susceptible
to climate-related damages. There is increased
evidence that low-latitude and less developed
areas generally face greater risk, for example
in dry areas. New studies confirm that Africa
is one of the most vulnerable continents
because of the range of projected impacts,
multiple stresses and low adaptive capacity.
Aggregate impacts – Climate change over
the next century is likely to affect hundreds
of millions of people through increased
coastal flooding, reductions in water supplies,
increased malnutrition and increased health
impacts.
Risks of large scale singularities – The
complete deglaciation of the Greenland ice
sheet would raise sea level by 7m and could
be irreversible.
Despite this dire confirmation of change
and predictions for the future of our planet,
the 4th Assessment Report also provides
hope – we can avoid many of the potentially
catastrophic impacts of climate change if
we act together and act now.
Riaan Aucamp (Minister's Spokesperson)
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Speech by Marthinus van Schalkwyk, Minister
of Environmental Affairs and Tourism at
the Annual General Meeting of the Professional
Hunters Association of South Africa, Tuesday
20 November 2007
20 November 2007 – Speech - Department
of Environmental Affairs and Tourism – Introduction
- In 2004 when I was appointed as Minister,
there were a number of people who were surprised
and uneasy with my decision to accept an
invitation to address your annual event
in that year. Some even advised me to decline
the invitation in 2004. Because ethical,
responsible hunting and conservation are
two sides of the same coin, it is clear
that it was the correct decision.
Although we will not always agree on every
matter, I am of the firm belief that the
professional hunting sector has an important
partnership role to play in our approach
both to conservation and tourism, and I
am fully committed to strengthening and
improving the relationship between our department
and this sector.
Economic contribution
Game farming and hunting contributes significantly
to conservation, tourism development, job
creation and sustainable development in
rural areas. It is integrated with various
sectors of the economy. It is an important
foreign currency earner and its contribution
to the gross national product is substantial.
I am very optimistic about the future of
this industry and the great potential to
further nurture and promote its economic
and conservation worth.
The key issue is sustainable utilization.
We are equally determined to ensure that
our laws and international commitments are
respected and upheld, and will not hesitate
to act swiftly and harshly against unethical
or irresponsible hunters who overstep or
ignore our regulations. In this regard I
want to thank PHASA for the stand it has
taken against canned lion hunting and taking
disciplinary action against members who
do not adhere to your code of conduct.
Regulations
There are a number of issues we have engaged
on with the industry over the past few years.
Regular and structured dialogue between
our department and this sector was a very
important issue that was raised at our previous
meeting. The Wildlife Forum has been successfully
established to provide for such a dialogue
and it is clear that these interactions
are bearing fruit.
Firstly, due to fragmented and in many
cases inconsistent provincial conservation
legislation that provided inadequate protection
for wildlife, the need was identified to
develop national regulatory framework.
This culminated in the regulations pertaining
to Threatened or Protected Species (TOPS).
In short these regulations aim to:
address the canned hunting issue, as it
explicitly prohibits the hunting of listed
large predators under certain conditions;
Address illegal hunting and unethical hunting
methods and devices;
Provide formal recognition by our department
to hunting organizations.
I am aware of the capacity challenges faced
by some of the provinces with regard to
permitting and licensing. The turnaround
time is an area that PHASA and the game
farmers have raised with me. I will discuss
this challenge with the MECs responsible
for environment.
The implementation of these regulations
will be the first step of a two-step process
to clean up the hunting and game farming
industry. The next step will be to promote
even greater uniformity with regard to elements
of the hunting industry. We will introduce
national norms and standards that provide
a framework for provincial regulation and
further streamline permitting. This will
also be developed in close consultation
with the industry, provincial authorities
and other stakeholders. We will make it
easier for you to operate as industry. We
will ensure that the same rules and standards
will apply to everyone equally and we will
strengthen government’s hand to ensure compliance
and enforcement. This will root out those
rogue elements that give the whole industry
a bad name.
Secondly, the consultative process on these
norms and standards will aim to:
Search for best practices or minimum standards
pertaining to hunting that need to be adhered
to;
Standardize conditions under which permits
may be or must be issued by provincial conservation
authorities and requirements in terms of
equipment to be used; and
Further explore models for self regulation
in the hunting industry.
I know that some of your members may have
interests in the elephant safari industry.
I also want to address you as ethically
and responsible game farmers and hunters
today. I am aware of the current debate
on alleged cruelty inflicted on elephants
in captivity. I made the following commitment
when I published the draft norms and standards
for elephant management in February this
year. "I also insist, however, that
the management of our natural resources
should be conducted ethically, humanely
and rationally. Willful cruelty to animals
must be condemned and avoided at all costs.
The DN&S, I believe, is a well balanced
document that addresses the interests and
welfare of elephants in equal measure to
the options for controlling elephant populations."
Words have meaning. These were not just
words on paper. They constituted a firm
commitment. Some of the allegations conveyed
to me about the captive elephant industry
points to the possible existence of totally
unacceptable practices. I am personally
determined to get to the bottom of it. I
want to assure you today that government
will crack down on any cruelty and will
effectively regulate the environment of
elephants in captivity, whether that is
done by our department, the department of
agriculture or on the basis of an arrangement
between us. For us this is a serious and
urgent issue.
Transformation
It is encouraging to note that PHASA has
itself identified transformation and empowerment
as issues of concern. Our department is
engaging with the industry to develop a
BEE Score Card in an effort to transform
the industry. As a department we always
prefer industry-led transformation. Regulation
is always a last resort but it will be applied
if a sector does not demonstrate the will
for real and lasting change.
There are so many opportunities for BEE
partnerships with communities living on
communal land adjacent to game farms, with
communities who have had suitable land restituted
to them, and also with SMME’s and entrepreneurs
especially in tourism.
The training of emerging professional hunters
is an area in which PHASA has already been
active. I want to acknowledge the R700 000
that was raised earlier this year through
the African Wildlife Heritage Gala Dinner
for training black students.
Transformation and empowerment goes beyond
ownership, management, employment and skills.
Professional Hunting will only truly be
embraced by all South African communities
when clients from these communities are
also developed – a longer-term challenge
for PHASA.
Conclusion
In conclusion, commercial game farming
and professional hunting has a key role
to play in nature conservation and tourism
in South Africa. I am aware that quite a
number of species were effectively saved
from extinction by private landowners, and
professional hunting sustains jobs and brings
much-needed revenue into some of our most
depressed areas.
Over the past three years I have appreciated
our working relationship with this industry.
It has been a vibrant and robust interaction
as we jointly came to grips with a number
of issues, including the interpretation
of societal values on ethics in the hunting
industry and giving practical content to
sustainable use. Together we have changed
much in the last three years and I can assure
you that we will look back on many more
changes by 2010. We should not shy away
from a robust debate over the next few years
as government continues to shape the regulatory
environment and industry continues to ask
how they could flourish in a responsible
and sustainable way within that regulatory
framework.
From the side of Government be assured
of my support for the sector and for your
efforts, but always remember the importance
of partnership in this equation.
I wish you the very best for the rest of
the conference. I am looking forward to
further engagements with this industry.
I thank you.
Riaan Aucamp (Minister's Spokesperson)
